Technical Field
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to well kill operations in hydrocarbon exploration. In particular, embodiments disclosed herein relate to the development of hydraulic communication between a target and a relief well without the need to intersect the two wells.
Description of Related Art
In the field of hydrocarbon exploration and extraction, it is sometimes necessary to drill a relief well to provide a conduit for injecting a fluid, such as mud or cement, into a target well. Such procedures most often occur when the relief well is drilled to kill the target well.
A relief well is typically drilled as a straight hole down to a planned kickoff point, where it is turned toward the target well using conventional directional drilling technology. Drilling is thereafter continued until the relief well intersects the target well, thereby establishing hydraulic communication between the two wells.
Because of the difficulty in intersecting the relief well with the target well, the relief well may be drilled at an incident angle to the target well rather than simply intersecting the target well perpendicularly.
In any event, upon intersection, fluid from the relief well typically U-tubes into the target well. Pumps are used to keep the annulus of the relief well full, followed by pumping at the appropriate kill rates until the blowout is dead.